Phil Davis vs. Liam McGeary
The fight was for the Bellator light-heavyweight championship, defended by undefeated champion Liam McGeary. It was McGeary's first loss. The Fight The first round began. Feeling out process early. Chael commentating. McGeary lands a jab, eats a leg kick. Davis lands a good leg kick, eats an inside kick and a body kick. 4:00. McGeary stuffs a single. McGeary stuffs a double, clinch. Davis knees the body twice, they break. McGeary lands a left and a body kick. Davis ladns a glancing counter left, stuffs a double. Davis glances a high kick and another, eats a high kick, they scramble, Davis mounts. Right elbow. A few lefts under. Side control against the cage. Davis got the back. 2:00. Davis knees the hip twice, gets the back standing. Trips McGeary down. Two rights under, a few more, half-guard basically. Right elbow. Has the back, one hook. McGeary rolls and stands eating a high kick. Davis lands a leg kick and a blocked high kick. McGeary is aggressive. 1:00. McGeary lands a jab. 35 as Davis lands a leg kick. Davis lands a left, tries a double, stuffed to the clinch. Davis works a trip, stuffed. They break. 15. McGeary seems off balance. He drops Davis with something, R1 ends as they scramble, 10-9 Davis. R2 began. Davis lands a leg kick. And another. Oh one hit the groin, Big John warned him. McGeary lands a body kick. Liam blocks a high kick, lands a body kick. 4:00. Davis lands an inside kick. And another. Liam stuffs a single. Davis lands a leg kick. Liam lands a left. Davis lands an inside kick, blocks a high kick. Liam lands a jab. Clinch. Davis persists and gets a trip by the cage, half-guard. 3:00. Liam thinking leglock. Davis escapes. "Pick your shots, take your time!" Side control then right into mount, right elbow. Another. Davis works a kimura, lets it go, side control, a couple rights. 2:00 as he goes back to the kimura. Davis remounts. Davis lands a couple good rights and a right elbow. Left elbow. Liam defends a kimura then an arm triangle. Right elbow. "Short elbows!" Right elbow. 1:00. A couple short lefts. Davis works a kimura. Liam kicks off the cage, rolls and stands and breaks away. 30. 15. Liam stalking. R2 ends, 10-9 Davis clearly. R3 began. Liam misses a big high kick. Davis makes a little taunting hand gesture. He lands a leg kick. Liam lands a left. Davis lands a blocked high kick, works a double, Liam lands a right elbow defending, Davis lifts him and nearly slams him but Liam makes sure it's a soft landing, great guard. 4:00. Liam thinking leglock. Davis mounts. Davis thinking americana. Right elbow. Working for the kimura actually, now arm triangle. Liam defending well. Escapes. 3:00. Right elbow. Liam rolls, goes for a leg. Davis turns back on top to half-guard. He remounts easily. A couple lefts. 2:00 with a right. Liam regains guard, lands a right and a left. Davis passes to half-guard, lands a big right, a left. Side control. "Knee!" Davis goes knee on belly. Boos. Mounts, looks briefly for an arm triangle, lands a couple right elbows. A good one. 1:00. Davis lands a right. Liam gives up the back. 35 as Liam rolls to half-guard. Davis stands over him, kicks the leg twice, lets him up, 10. Boos. R3 ends, 10-9 Davis. Agree with Jimmy that it was a possible 10-8 but not from me, maybe from someone else. R4 began. Chael: "Ray Charles could see this is all Phil Davis thus far." Davis lansd a left. Davis lands a body kick. Liam stuffs a single, lands a blocked high kick, eats an inside kick. 4:00. Davis lands an inside kick. Another and a right. Liam steps in kneeing the body, defends a double. Davis persists and gets it to guard. Liam looks for a triangle, oh shit, almost locked it, Davis escapes to side control, 3:00. Mounts. Boos. Two lefts. Two good lefts. Two right elbows. There's a cut, Big John calls it out. Left elbow. Davis thinking arm triangle. Cut over Liam's left eye. He escapes. Regains half-guard. 2:00. Davis thinks D'arce briefly, right elbow. Side control, two right elbows. Another. Knee on belly. Right elbow. Liam rolls. Davis lands a couple rights under. Side control. Knee on belly, mount. Right. 1:00. Jimmy: "He's getting owned in there." A couple short rights, right elbow. 35. Side control. Knee on belly. He steps over towards a kimura, it's in, he's cranking it, oh shit. 15. He drops back for something, Liam escapes and they stand and break. R4 ends, 10-8 Davis IMO, almost finished him and cut him too, had the damage factor as well. R5 began. Liam stalking, stuffs a single, clinch. Liam lands a couple right elbows. Davis tries a trip, Liam thinking kimura, they break, Davis blocks a high kick. Liam's intense. He stuffs a double. Thinking guillotine drops back missing it. He goes for an armbar. Davis escapes to side control, 4:00. Boos. Mount. Davis thinking arm triangle. It's in. Not entirely. Lost it. "He's made a decision that he's going to GO to a decision," Chael comments. Right elbow. 3:00. Right elbow. Another. A hard one. Half-guard, left elbow. 2:00. Davis remounts. Right elbow. Liam regains half-guard. Right elbow. Boos. Davis gets the back with a hook, boos. A couple lefts under. Liam's exhausted indeed. 1:00. Liam rolls to guard. Half-guard basically. Davis lands a left elbow and a right. 30. Davis passes to side control, left elbow, a couple more, a couple more, 15. Right left right left elbow combo. Mounts. A couple right elbows. R5 ends, 10-9 Davis. 50-44 Davis IMO, domination. Liam's corner was telling him "heart of a champ" and something about "outwrestling." Jimmy: "The whole fight was a highlight for Phil Davis." 50-43, 50-45, 50-44 UD for Davis, new champ. They hug. Boos. "This guy is an amazing grappler, he's a great fighter and a really cool guy so his fans got it right." Liam interview. "I lost my belt to a wrestler. Phil Davis did what Phil Davis does. I'll be back rest assured. I'm not going to let that one get by for sure. I'll be back for that belt." They touch gloves tensely. Davis poses with Coker. Chael jokes that it's a good-looking belt, hinting he might want to fight for it.